[Page 1 is a project notice: "Illegible Text — Some or all of the pages of this file are wholly or in part illegible. We have not been able either to locate a better copy of the document, or to enhance its legibility electronically."] [Address panel, with postal markings:] [PORTSMOUTH [undecipherable] [undecipherable] January [undecipherable] [undecipherable] 22 [undecipherable]] M^r. Josiah Fox [undecipherable] [W]ar office Philadelphia [undecipherable] [Docket:] [[undecipherable]mouth January 3^d 1797 [undecipherable] Thompson] [undecipherable] Port[s] Jan^y 2 1797 I rec^d your favour of 22^d communicating the proposals from the Secretary of War for Superin- tending of the Frigots which I accept and have wrote him by the last post to that effect the [undecipherable: compensation] is small but as every one in [undecipherable: Public Service] is paid with great Oeconomy I [undecipherable] form — shall enter on the requisite [undecipherable] — in your communications and [undecipherable] the several heads, you will please to be as explicit as possible. you have a full and compleat knowledge of the whole busi[ness] local, official, and profes[undecipherable] and myself expect to derive much assistance and advantage from your situation & knowledge — in return I hope you will meet with our [undecipherable] reward and friendship — and full compensation from the publice for your unremitted attention and Industry, to the business whilst you remain[undecipherable] here to which I was often witnes — shall expect in due course, instructions from the Secretary of War &^c. your m[undecipherable] [undecipherable] piece of bondage due [undecipherable] 16 dol^s p [undecipherable] [undecipherable] English N^o 1 & [undecipherable: Beuport] N^o 2 [undecipherable] Sailmakers for make[undecipherable] suit [undecipherable] d^ts W dol^s [undecipherable] including roping & [undecipherable] — shall the lower [undecipherable] have sheaves of yard arm or [undecipherable] sheet blocks — shall [undecipherable] be [undecipherable] over the [undecipherable] or have [undecipherable] blocks & [undecipherable] shall the [undecipherable: Topsails] have double [undecipherable: hallyards] [undecipherable] on each side